Diaphragm pessary introducer



July 22, v1941. I w. .`scHM1-rz, JR 2,250,037

DIAPHRAGM PESSARY INTRODUGER Filed Nov. 15. 1938 ff www Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE D'IAPHRAGM PESSARY IN TRODUCER William L. Schmitz, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif. Application November 15, 1938, Serial No. 240,503

(Cl. 12S- 127) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in diaphragm pessary introducers.

Physicians in the course of their practice have occasions to recommend the applications of pessaries. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device that is intended to `be used upon the advice of a physician in accordance with approved professional medical practice.

An object of the present invention is to provide an introducer for introducing into the vaginal canal a pessary of the diaphragm type which is so constructed as to enable the diaphragm to be easily applied to the introducer and to be introduced thereby into the vaginal canal and when properly positioned caused to be released so that 'the introducer may be readily withdrawn without `diliculty leaving the diaphragm pessary in proper position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an introducer as above described, which is so designed that release does not take place until the back of the vaginal canal is encountered so that the diaphragm will not be removed from the introducer until it has been properly positioned at the back ofthe vaginal canal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diaphragm introducer which is of neat, simple, and durable design and which is adjustable so as to 'accommodate diaphragm pessaries of different sizes, this adjustment Ibeing accomplished by merely substituting the correct size tip for the instrument to accommodate the desired size of diaphragm.

A further object oi the invention is to provide a diaphragm pessary introducer consisting of a body part, one end of which provides a socket and the other end of which provides a handle for manipulating the instrument. 'Ihe socket is designed to receive the shank of the replaceable tip and at the back of the socket there is a suitable shoulder. The diaphragm pessary is applied between the end of the tip and the shoulder so that it is held on the instrument in distorted ovate form, and in this condition inserted into the vaginal canal. In this way the spring of the diaphragm pessary is such as to urge the tip into the socket, the arrangement being such that the tension exerted by the distorted diaphragm on the tip is in a direction along the length of the tip. The release and withdrawal of the instrument is very readily accomplished and will -be hereinafter explained.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims,'reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved diaphragm pessary introduoer, parts of the socket and of the shank of the tip being broken away and shown in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the introducer shown in Fig. 1, part of the socket being broken away and shown in substantially horizontal section;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the introducer shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken substantially upon the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation illustrating a modied form of construction, parts of the socket being broken away and shown in vertical section.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the body and the tip of the instrument may be formed of any preferred material but the use of Bakelite or like composition is highly preferred. The body of the instrument indicated at I0 is shaped to provide at one end a socketv I I, the bore of which indicated at I2 is cylindrical. At the back of this socket there is formedan upright shoulder I3 the sides of which diverge upwardly and forwardly. At the bottom of shoulder I3 the body provides a downwardly and rearwardly curving handle i4 terminating at its end with a downwardly extending hook I5 which may be used to advantage to withdraw the diaphragm pessary from the vaginal canal.

A tip is provided indicated at I6 which has its forward end transversely grooved as at I'I. This tip has -a shank -I8 slidably receivable within the bore I2 of the socket I I. Means is provided for permitting a limited sliding movement of the shank I8 within the socket. This consists of a suitable pin I9 extending vertically through the socket and through a slot 20 formed in the shank oi the tip. The rear end of the shank may be provided with a small pin 2| providing a spring guide for a coil spring 22.

The operation and'advantages of the construction as above-described, are as follows:

The conventional diaphragm pessary consists of a hemispherical or dome-shaped diaphragm of rubber provided with a relatively heavy rim. In some forms of construction a metallic coil spring is embedded in the rubber of the pessary at the rim. When in normal position the diaphragm pessary is usually in the shape of a perfect. dome ydisengagement of Y adjustableto accommodate diaphragm required distance socket and the handle or hemisphere but it may be distorted into an ovate or elongated position.

In applying the pessary to the introducer, the diaphragm is distorted from its normal position and one side of the rim is positioned in transverse notch I1. The diametrically opposed portion of the rim is stretched and slipped over the shoulder I3. The strength of spring 22 is such as to be slightly stronger than the springiness of the distorted diaphragm pessary. That is, when the diaphragm has been distorted and stretched between groove I1 and shoulder I3, the spring 22 is still strong enough to urge the tip I6 into its forwardmost position as shown in Fig. l. The pessary is then inserted into the vaginal canal by means of the introducer with the diaphragm held in this distorted or ovate position. When the forward end of the'tip IB encounters the back of the vaginal canal, the slight pressure applied to the tip is suicient to overcome the force'exerted by spring 22, it being understood that this slight pressure which is applied to the tip by the back of the vaginal canal is operating conjunctively with the pressure imposed on the tip by the distorted diaphragm.

When the spring 22 is thus overcome the tip I I6 is caused to slide rearwardly in the socket,

thus shortening the distance between the two diametrically opposed points of the rim of the diaphragm and permitting the diaphragm to laterally expand. The lateral expansion ci the diaphragm causes it to engage the sides of the vaginal canal and to be temporarily held thereby. On lowering the handle I4 the rear end of the diaphragm will be caused to slide upwardly on shoulder I3 and to slide over the top of the socket. It will thus be appreciated that release or the instrument from the diaphragm does not take place until the tip I1 has engaged the back of the vaginal canal, thus causing the diaphragm pessary to be released and disengaged in proper position. The instrument can then be withdrawn from beneath the positioned diaphragm.

The form of construction above-described is pessaries Sizes now in use vary in diamto 105 m. rn. Adjustment is of different sizes. eter from 50 m. m.

accomplished by withdrawing pin I9 and substituting for the tip I3 a tip of different length. By having tips IB of varying lengths these tips may be substituted one for the other on removal andreplacement of pin IS so that the distance between groove I1 and shoulder I3 will be the for any selected diaphragm pessary.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a simplified form of construction whereinA the body 30 provides a socket 3i having a tapered bore 32. The upright. shoulder 33 is formed at the back of the 34 extends downwardly and rearwardly from the bottom of the socket terminating in the withdrawal hook 35. In this formY of construction the tip 36 is transversely grooved as at 31 and the shank 38 is tapered with a taper complementary to the tapered bore 32.

In this form of construction the diaphragm pessary is distorted into elongated or ovate form and stretched between notch 31 and shoulder 33. In this position it urges the tip to have its shank forced into the tapered bore of the socket 3|. The diaphragm pessary on being introduced by the instrument into the vaginal canal is carried by the instrument to the proper position. Then, on twisting the handle 34 either to right or to left, the shoulder 33 is, in effect, twisted out from behind the edge of the rim of the diaphragm permitting the diaphragm pessary to return to its normal or circular position as far as permitted by the walls of the vaginal canal, it being understood that during this return movement the forward edge is held by the forward end of the tip in proper position. With the dia-v phragm thus disengaged from shoulder 33 the instrument may be withdrawn leaving the diaphragm pessary in desired position. This form of construction is also adjustable to accommodate diaphragm pessaries of different sizes, this being accomplished by replacing tip 36 with a tip having the desired or required length.

In some instances,- physicians have recommended the application of a diaphragm pessary in so-called dome-up position. Other physicians have recommended the application of the pessary in dome-down position. Both forms of introducer, as above-described, are capable of introducing the diaphragm pessary in either dome-up or dome-down position.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as deiined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A diaphragm pessary introducer comprising a body providing a socket, a handle at the back of the socket, a shoulder at the back of the socket, and a tip, the shank of which is receivable in the socket, the end of the tip and the shoulder at the back of the socket cooperating to hold a diaphragm pessary in distorted ovate form therebetween, said shank being slidable in the socket, means for retaining the shank in the socket, and spring means in the socket normally urging the tip into foremost position.

2. A diaphragm pessary introducer comprising a body providing a socket open at its forward end, a handle extending downwardly and rearwardly from the back of the socket, a shoulder at the back of the socket, and a tip having a transverse -groove at its forward end and a shank at its rear end receivable in the socket, said shank being slidable within the socket and being slotted, a pin extending across the socket through the slot, and spring meansin the socket engageable with the shank urging the tip into forwardmost position.

WILLIAM L. SCI-EJIIIZ, J R. 

